Baby car or carriage



D em 30, 1930. w E-K 1,786,663

BABY CAR OR CARRIAGE Filed Jan. 4, 1929 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Dec. 30;.1930..1. w. LEEK 1.786563 BABY CAR OR CARRIAGE File d Jan. 4, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 l atented Dec. 3%, 1930 JOHN WILLIAM LEEK, OF SALE,ENGLAND BABY GAR OR CARRIAGE Application filed January 4, 1929, SerialNo. 330,277, and in Great Britain September 18, 1928.

This invention refers to a new or improved construction of baby car orcarriage which can be propelledand guided by the ocoupants feet and isfree to turn in all directions on a flat surface without risk ofupsetting. A

particular purpose and advantage of the improved car is that it operatesas a babyminder, in that it allows of the child, while fastened to theseat of the car, moving about without the attention'of a nurse or otherperson.

According to the invention, the improved car or carriage comprises achair. Extending from below the seat of the chair are three radialmembers, one at each front corner of the chair and a third at the rearof the chair. At the extremity of each of the front radial memhers is asmall wheel, and at the extremity of the rear radial member is a singleswivel wheel, or a twin swivel wheel.

"he chair is furnished with straps, for se curing the ocoupan therein,and the height of the chair from the floor is such that a small child orinfant can use his or her feet to propel the car in any desireddirection, the wheel at the rear of the car allowing of rapid changes ofdirection.

Upon the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of one example of the improved babycar.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and

Fig. 3 a plan of the same example of baby car.

Fi 4t is a plan of a modification. v

Fi 5 is a plan of a further modification.

l 6 shows how the car is prevented rolling down steps.

The chair part a of the car, preferably made of wood, is of a shape suchas to constitute what may be called a bucket type of chair, that is, achair with a seat part a with an upstanding back part a both beingrather more than a semi-circle in plan, see Fig. 3. The seat part a asalso the inner face of the seat back a may be upholstered or left plain.Usually the seat part a only will be upholstered. When plain, its frontpart may be slightly raised.

A pair of leather or like flexible straps b If, are secured at one endto the inner face of the seat back and provided with a buckle and holesrespectively at the other end, whereby the child may be strapped to thecar.

To the underside of the seat a? are rigidly secured three radial bars 0c 0 preferably of wood, and as shown thicker at one end than the other.To the outer free ends of the forard radial bars 0 0 rubber-tyred wheels(Z (Z are fittedthe wheels being adapted to rotate freely in planesparallel with each other and with the rear radial bar 0 F itting theouter free end of the radial bar 0 is the vertical pivot of theswivelling wheel (Z At the same end of the bar 0 may be a stout rubberring 6 held horizontally to act as an elastic buffer, should the end ofthe bar when the car is running backwards tend to collide with a wall,or other obstruction.

The radial bars 0 0 0 are of a length such as to allow the wheels (Z (Z(Z to move sub stantially in a circle, with a point at, or about so ofthe seat a for centre. Further, the di mensions of the radial bars andthe height of the chair from the ground, are such as to cause the centreof gravity to be low down and thus render the car noncapsizable inordinary use.

In the example shown, the radial bars 0 0 extend about 4 inches outwardsfrom the chair, and the bar 0 about 9 inches from the chair. The heightof the underside of "so the chair from the floor will be about 4 inches.The bars 0 0 0 lie at an angle to each other in plan of about 120. Withthe car in use, the child, while strapped to the chair, pushes againstthe floor with his or her feet, and owing to the freedom with which thewheels rotate, the slightest push results in movement of the car, andeither forwards or backwards or diagonally at the will of the occupant,the three wheelsallow ing of almost universal movement.

The three radial bars form a species of skeleton chassis, or at least, achassis of the slenderest proportions between the various wheels, andsuch chassis, in addition to its lightness, lends itself to manoeuvringof the car around the legs of furniture, around corners of rooms and thelike, and such manoeuvrin is facilitated by the fact that the itcomplete car will revolve in a circle with one of its forward wheels forcentre.

A detachable tray 7", see Fig. at, may be provided, each end of thetray'being formed with a tongue part to engage a metal socket g securedto the chair and to extend below a pin 1.

As a precaution against the car running forwards or backwards and downsteps, spikes [L1, 171,2 are provided on the underside of the bar 0 seeFig. 2, which, as shown in Fig. 6, engage the surface against which theyfall after the front wheels or back wheel of the car have or has passedover the first or top step, the spike preventing any further down wardmovement of the car. This arrangement has proved "cry eflective inpractice.

A twin swivelling wheel, see Fig. 5, may be used in place of the singlesv-xivelling wheel shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Although chiefly for use by infants, the improved car or carriage can bemade to a larger scale for use by juveniles generally. Also if desired,the chair may be wide enough to hold tWo infants side by side, but asthis would entail a larger area for manoeuvring, the single seater ispreferred.

Being comparatively small and light, the complete car can be easilycarried about by an adult. To facilitate packing and transport, the bars0 c 0 may be detached from the chair by removing the connecting screws.

What I claim is l. A baby car or the like comprising a bucket-shapedchair, a single swivelling wheel arranged centrally behind the chair,two arms extending forwardly, one at each side of the chair, anon-swivelling wheel mounted on each arm, the said wheels being coaxialwith each other and disposed so as to been each side of an open and freespace between them and in front of the chair for the occupants legs,within which the oc cupant may propel the chair by his own feet frombetween the non-swivelling wheels and by crossing their common axis.

2. A baby car or the like comprising a bucket-shaped chair, a detachablearm extending rearwardly from the chair, a single swivelling wheelarranged centrally behind the chair, two detachable arms extending forwardly, one at each side of the chair, a nonswivelling wheel mounted oneach arm, the said wheels being coaxial with each other and disposed soas to be on each side of an open and free space between them and infront of the chair for the occupants legs within which the occupant maypropel the chair by his own feet from between the nonswivelling wheelsand by crossing their common axis.

3. A baby car or the like comprising a bucket-like chair and a chassiscomposed of radial bars and wheels at the ends of the bars, one of suchwheels being free to swivel about a vertical axis as well as to rotateabout a horizontal axis, and the bars and wheels being of suchproportions as to cause the centre of gravity of the car being near tothe ground, and downwardly extending spikes applied to the underside ofthe chassis for the purpose of arresting the further motion of the carshould it run forwards or backwards over a step, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

J. W. LEEK.

